Alien Syndrome

Sega
Industry	Video games
Founded	June 3, 1960; 66 years ago in Japan
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Video games, arcade games, consoles

Alien Syndrome is a run and gun video game created by Sega that debuted in arcades in 1987, followed by a Master System adaptation released the same year. Players assume the roles of soldiers Ricky or Mary, who are assigned the mission of combating alien threats and saving hostages within a strict time frame.

Upon release, Alien Syndrome quickly gained popularity, ranking among Sega's top-selling titles on the Master System. It was well-received for its engaging gameplay, character design, sound effects, and its incorporation of a horror atmosphere. The game was later featured in the Genesis compilation Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (2009). However, a 2007 sequel bearing the same name was met with largely negative reviews.

Gameplay

Players control either Ricky or Mary as they navigate extensive eight-directional scrolling stages to locate and rescue fellow soldiers captured by extraterrestrials. Each mission starts with a countdown triggered by a time bomb planted aboard the alien-infested vessel; players must complete their objectives before the bomb detonates. After securing a sufficient number of hostages, an exit becomes accessible, leading to a confrontation with the level’s boss. Defeating this boss before time runs out allows progression to subsequent stages. Completing all seven levels results in the game restarting with heightened difficulty and reduced time allowances.

The title supports simultaneous two-player mode and includes collectible items such as weapon upgrades and level maps.

Ports

In 1988, Alien Syndrome was adapted for multiple platforms including the Master System, MSX, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System (the latter published by Tengen without Nintendo's official license). Additional ports were released for the ZX Spectrum (1989), Game Gear (1992), and X68000 (1992).

Reception

In May 1987, Japan’s Game Machine ranked Alien Syndrome as the third most successful table arcade game. The original arcade edition received commendations from Computer and Video Games for its captivating gameplay, eerie horror elements reminiscent of Aliens, sound design, visual presentation, and addictive quality.

The Master System version obtained an 85% rating from Console XS magazine but was given a lower score of two out of five stars by Dragon magazine in 1989. Other evaluations included a 6.5 out of 8 from Computer Entertainer (Commodore 64) and 85% ratings from both Console XS and Sega Pro (Master System). Additionally, it earned a Crash Smash accolade from Crash magazine.

Reviews

Computer and Video Games (April 1988)
Power Play (February 1988)
The Games Machine (March 1988)
Sega Power (December 1993)
ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) (May 1988)

Legacy

The game was reimagined with polygonal graphics for the PS2 as part of the Sega Ages re-release series and appeared in the US edition of the Sega Classics Collection, though it was excluded from the European version to achieve a lower age rating. This iteration modernized controls to incorporate both analog sticks, similar to other titles such as Sheriff, Robotron: 2084, and Smash TV. Furthermore, the original arcade version can be unlocked within Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection.

A follow-up game sharing the same title, Alien Syndrome, was released for Wii and PSP in July 2007.

External links

Alien Syndrome on Arcade-History